A team has emerged that wants Kim Min-jae (29, Bayern Munich). It is Galatasaray, the 'main rival' of his 'former workplace', Serie A's Napoli.
On the 13th (Korea time), the German 'TZ' reported, "Bayern center-back Kim Min-jae has made it onto Galatasaray's transfer list in Turkey. An official one-year loan proposal has been submitted to Bayern. It is not known whether there is an option for a permanent transfer included."
It added, "Although Bayern officials have never made an official mention of Kim Min-jae's transfer, they are fundamentally not excluding the possibility of a sale. If a proper offer comes in, Bayern will not block Kim Min-jae's transfer."
Bayern is reportedly seeking a transfer fee of 35 million euros (approximately 56.4 billion won) for Kim Min-jae. This is about 15 million euros (approximately 24.1 billion won) lower than the transfer fee Bayern paid SSC Napoli in the summer of 2023.
However, 'TZ' noted, "A loan deal to Istanbul appears unlikely. It has been reported that Director General Max Eberl and head coach Vincent Kompany have given Kim Min-jae a very positive evaluation. His tenacity, diligence, and spirit of sacrifice for the team have been highly regarded. Despite injuries, the fact that he sacrificed his body for the team due to numerous injuries has been emphasized. The message is that loyalty is not one-sided."
Furthermore, it was stated, "Currently, Bayern's resources for center-backs are very limited. Jonathan Tah has joined Bayer Leverkusen as a free agent, but Kim Min-jae's competitor Eric Dier has left for AS Monaco. Injured Hiroki Ito is expected to be absent until the end of the year. Josip Stanisic has frequently suffered from injuries." It added, "If Kim Min-jae is let go, they must bring in at least an equivalent replacement immediately. However, given the difficulties in finding a substitute for Leroy Sané (Galatasaray), finding a defender of Kim Min-jae's caliber is a very challenging task. They tried to save expenses by disposing of Sané, but the total cost for a substitute may end up being higher."
Kim Min-jae made his European debut by transferring from Beijing Guoan to Fenerbahçe in 2021. He left a strong impression in Turkey within a short period and moved to Napoli in Italy the following year. He was regarded as the best defender in Serie A and donned the Bayern uniform in 2023.
After transferring to Bayern, Kim Min-jae has played a total of 79 matches. Following an impressive start at the beginning of last season, he struggled with an Achilles tendon injury for about half a year. This caused him to miss the final matches of the Bundesliga and the Club World Cup. He accompanied the team on the summer tour to the United States, but did not make any actual appearances.
Currently, Bayern is undergoing significant defensive restructuring through the summer transfer market. There is speculation that Bayern is moving with the possibility of a defense line without Kim Min-jae in mind.
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